


Strength in Her Sensei

by KakaKatie2014



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:22:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22540921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KakaKatie2014/pseuds/KakaKatie2014
Summary: They’re in the middle of a war when Sakura confesses her love for Kakashi-Sensei.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Haruno Sakura
Comments: 46
Kudos: 139





	1. The Letter

**Author's Note:**

> Idk what this is honestly. I have a vision for 3 parts to this story but I’m not sure. Also, I did this in a hurry on my phone so it might be weird and have mistakes.

It all started when he saved her from Sasuke. She had gone to kill Sasuke herself. Stupid. But her Sensei came to her rescue. As usual. Her protector since childhood. In the moments that he rescued her though, Sakura had an awakening. She fell in love with Kakashi. She’s half his age, he’s her Sensei, and they’re in the middle of a war. There couldn’t be a worse time to realize this. Even if they weren’t in a war, nothing could be done about it. He would never reciprocate her feelings. But what if she died? What if he died? She had to tell him how she felt or she might regret it for the rest of her life. It was over a week before she worked up the courage to give him the letter she had written him. She walked up to him with confidence, looked him in the eye, and handed him the note. Then she promptly walked away. She hid out at the edge of the campsite and watched him open the letter that held her heart inside.  
  
_Dear Kakashi,_

_I have known you for years. I grew up as your student and you were my Sensei. I cherish the lessons I have learned from you through the years. You are one of the most important people in my life. For so long I ha_ ve _viewed you as a teacher and a guide. You still are those things to me, but I view you differently now. You are my protector and you hold a special place in my heart. I find refuge and safety in your presence. I have thought this over for a while now. I don’t want you to think that I’m confused, or that this is a rushed decision. It’s not. We are in a time of war. I don’t want to have any regrets. My life almost ended a week ago. But it didn’t because of you. You have my heart. Now and always. I know you probably won’t return these feelings and you will always view me as an annoying little girl. But I had to tell you how I feel. I_ _know this will change things between us. I’m sorry for burdening you yet again. I’m yours._

_Love, Sakura_

Sakura watched as Kakashi finished reading the note. He looked towards the sky and closed his eyes in frustration. But his head leveled back down towards the trees. He looked around and locked eyes with her. There was no emotion in his eyes, at first. But once he saw how Sakura was nervously chewing on her bottom lip, he softened and smiled at her. She simply nodded her head in response and started to walk off when she noticed Kakashi making his way toward her. _Why is coming over here?! I’m going to die. He’s going to tease me._ On his way over to Sakura, Kakashi thought carefully about what he would say. Of course he has to turn her down. She’s his student and way too young for him. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t noticed the beautiful woman she was blossoming into. Sakura has gained maturity in both looks and mentality over the past year. If he were a younger man, then he would certainly take an interest in her. But that’s not the case. He needs to let her down gently though. “Sakura. I read the letter you gave me. I’ve given it some thought. Do you want to hear what I have to say?” He looked down at the wide eyed girl, hoping that she would be too scared to hear his response so that he would be able to avoid this awkward situation altogether. But she simply nodded her head yes. Kakashi sighed. He took her delicate hand in his and walked her towards a more private part of the camp. Once they were at his desired spot, he turned her towards him and released her hand. “Sakura...you are special to me. You are one of my first ever students, and my favorite student. You have grown into a beautiful, strong woman that I am honored to fight beside in this war. However, I cannot reciprocate the feelings you have for me. I am too old for you and like I said, you were my student not too long ago. You still have some growing to do and some life to live. I care deeply for you. I would give my life for yours in a heartbeat. Please do not let this ruin our relationship. You are the most important woman in my life.” Kakashi was looking her in the eye throughout his entire speech. He wanted her to know that he meant every word he said. Sakura’s eyes shine with unshed tears. She refused to cry in front of him. She wanted to stay strong. _That’s my girl, Sakura._ She inhaled a shaky breath and began speaking. “Thank you for your kind words, Kakashi-Sensei. It means a lot to me. I won’t let this ruin our relationship. Maybe someday, you can look at me differently.” Her words tore through to his heart. She was trying to remain so strong. It was endearing. He knew it was a bad idea, but he brought his calloused hand up to her cheek and held it there, rubbing his thumb in circles on the rosy part where she blushed. Embarrassed by his gesture, Sakura looked down at her feet. “You are strong, Sakura. I am not blind to the beautiful woman in front of me. In my dreams, we might be together after this long war. But that cannot happen. I will always watch over you and protect you. Even when you’ve moved on to a much younger, more handsome man.” He chuckled at that last part, trying to relieve some of the tension between them. He didn’t expect her fierce reply that came next. Sakura brought her hand up to her cheek where his was still sitting. She grasped his hand in hers and held it tightly. “I will never find someone better than you, Sensei. No one can compare to you. And I will wait for you. I promise. Please don’t say anything else. This war is going to be long and difficult. Anything can happen during it and we don’t know what the world will look like when it’s finished.” She let go of his hand and brought her shaking hand up to his masked face. She traced the scar on his eye and then the contours of his nose before bringing her hand back down to rest at her side. She didn’t miss the way he blushed at her delicate touch. She wanted to say one more thing to the man she loves before they got back into this war. “When you’re fighting, just remember that there is a girl out in this world who loves you and needs you. If you can’t return my love, at least draw strength from it. There is hope in love, Sensei. I know you can easily become hopeless and downtrodden because of the life you’ve lived. But I believe in you and I know our village needs you. I need you. Draw strength and courage from that.” And with that, she walked away from the man she loves. She did not allow herself to shed a tear though, because she has hope for them and she draws strength from that hope. Kakashi stared at her retreating form, shocked by her raw honesty. He could tell that her words meant something. This wasn’t she decided on a whim. She was being completely vulnerable and truthful with him. This wasn’t the childish schoolgirl flirting she saved for Sasuke. This was a young woman proclaiming her love for a man. But they have a war to fight. And war has no respect for love. Kakashi went to sleep that night dreaming of a pink haired kunoichi.


	2. Correspondence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After thinking about it, this will probably be longer than three chapters. This is a super short one though.

It was months before they crossed paths again. Sakura was sent to the recovery area where she was healing people. Kakashi was sent to the front lines. Anytime someone was sent to be healed, he would send a letter along with them for Sakura. He’s always been close to his student, but after her confession and her sweet words, he felt a new closeness to her. 

Sakura was in the medic lounge tent when she received the latest update from Kakahsi. He kept his notes short and concise.

_ Sakura,  _

_ We haven’t made much progress. The war wages on at a steady pace. Naruto is stronger than ever though. Thank you for all of your hard work with healing our Shinobi. I think about you and how you are doing often. Please write back this time. _

_ Kakashi-Sensei  _

That last part shocked Sakura. She didn’t typically respond to his notes. Honestly, she didn’t even view them as personal messages to her. Yes, he addressed these notes to her specifically, but she figured that they were more of a general update for everyone to know about. It warmed her heart that he wanted to hear from her.

* * *

_ Dear Kakashi,  _

_ Thank you for all of the updates. I’m glad you are well. Thank you for remaining so strong and vigilant. I am also remaining strong. I struggle with seeing so many of our loved ones coming into the recovery area with serious injuries. I’m not able to save them all. I fear seeing you or naruto being carried in. But when these thoughts and fears consume me, I remember the hope I have for our future and that carries me through. You are always in my thoughts. Please continue to send your updates. Give naruto my love.  _

_ Yours,  _

_ Sakura  _

Sakura sent her letter for Kakashi back with one of the Shinobi returning to the front lines. 

A day later, Kakashi received a response from Sakura. He immediately tore the seal open and read it. 

_I remember the hope I have for our future. Our future._ It shouldn’t warm his heart the way it does, but her words are too sweet. His sweet Sakura. But she’s not actually his, is she? He could love her someday. But someday is years away. This war will last for years. He will probably only see her a handful of times over the course of the war. She will probably be a different person by the end of it, she will probably have different desires. Sakura will not want an old man a few years from now. He’s a sick man for even considering it. She’s only 17 years old, and he’s 31. It’s taboo to even think about her this way. But he can’t help to picture those bright, green eyes staring up at him.

* * *

When they finally crossed paths, it was when she was summoned to the front lines. They needed her there quickly to heal as many people as possible so they could continue fighting. When she arrived, they locked eyes immediately. He held her stare, refusing to break it. She walked towards him with purpose, at first, but he could see her hesitate as she got closer to him. 

She came to a stop just a few inches in front of him. Their chests were practically touching. He wanted to tell her that she was being inappropriate, but the words just wouldn’t come to him. 

“Kakashi-Sensei. It’s so good to see you. I’ve missed you.” Sakura couldn’t look into his eyes, she feared rejection. 

“It’s good to see you as well, Sakura. You look strong, and healthy.” She blushed at that. Even the smallest compliments from him meant something deep to her. 

“You look good as well. Really good, and strong. I hope you received my last letter.” Kakashi stuck his hand in his jacket and pulled out the letter he received from her a few days ago. 

“Your words encourage me, Sakura. I hold them close to me. Please keep writing once you return to your post.” Sakura simply nodded and replied, “Yes, Sensei.” 

“We don’t have much more time before the fighting resumes. I’m going to say something to you. It’s selfish and wrong, but I know there is a chance I might not be alive at the end of this. You are beautiful, and kind, and strong. Selfless. As long as I’m alive, I will protect you. I want things that I shouldn’t want from you. You are innocent,  Sakura. I will not taint that with my dark past and my old age...as much as I want you to let me in. I can’t be that selfish with you. But in this moment, where I don’t know if I’ll see tomorrow, I will allow myself one moment of selfishness.” Sakura’s eyes widened as Kakashi gripped her hips, pulling her flush with his chest. He pulled his mask down in a flash and in a second his lips were on hers. The kiss was slow and held such an intensity that Sakura thought she might pass out at any given moment. But it was over as soon as it began. Kakashi pulled away and held Sakura for a moment more in his arms before fully releasing her. 

“That will be enough. Thank you, sweet Sakura. And I’m sorry.” 


	3. More letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love having them communicate so much through letters!

Kakashi didn’t see her again before she returned to the medic camp. He knows she made it there safely though. 

He can’t stop thinking about that damn kiss. It was obviously her first kiss; she was timid and her movements were delayed. But it was still so good. He’s a sick man for even doing that. She’s practically a child still. When did he become so depraved? He’s not sure if he even has romantic feelings for her. It’s probably just the fact that she’s a beautiful girl who likes him. But she’s not just any beautiful girl. She’s his student. It’s wrong to have these thoughts about her, to say those things to her, to put his mouth on her. Truthfully, he needs to stop focusing on her at all. It’s dangerous to let feelings like that get in the way during a war. 

He shouldn’t have kissed her!

* * *

A week passed since their kiss. Sakura decided it was time to send him a letter. Something short that gives him an update and also that lets him know she’s thinking about him. Thinking about that kiss.

_ Kakashi,  _

_ Things seem to be going well for our side. We have less injured Shinobi showing up at our camp. And thankfully, most of the injuries are not fatal. We will prevail. Thank you for your hard work at the front lines. We feel safe in your hands. You are doing a great job.  _

_ I can’t stop thinking about you. I know it’s wrong. And I know it’s dangerous to be distracted, but you are on my mind a lot these days. I’m sorry if I was a bad kisser....it was my first time. Maybe we will get the chance to try again someday. I miss you. How are you truly doing?  _

_ Sakura  _

Sakura cringes at the words she wrote. She sounds like an insecure, girl. Well...she is an insecure, teenage girl. She’s almost an adult though, and hasn’t felt like a child in a long time. 

She hopes he will write back soon. He usually takes a few days to send back a response. It’s agonizing.

* * *

Kakashi received Sakura’s letter two days after she sent it out. He chuckled at her insecure words. However, she was bold enough to suggest that they might do it again. Unfortunately for them both, Kakashi decided that it could never happen again. He needs to cut this off now while it’s still so new. Sakura has always been a romantic. He watched her chase after Sasuke for her entire childhood. She romanticized the idea of him for years. Now she’s just doing the same thing with Kakashi. She didn’t feel any romantic feelings for him until he saved her life a few months ago. She doesn’t really understand what she wants or feels, especially at this age. Honestly, he thinks she’s probably just hormonal and horny. It would be completely wrong to take advantage of this situation. He needs to shut this down before it gets out of hand. After all, he does have a reputation to uphold as well. It would be viewed as extremely inappropriate for him to have any type of romantic relationship with Sakura. It simply can’t happen. And if he’s being honest with himself, he doesn’t really know if he has feelings for her. He felt something when they kissed, but he also hasn’t kissed a woman in over two years so those feelings aren’t really valid. At the end of the day, they don’t really have much in common and she is still too immature. Which is to be expected considering her age. He needs to write to her and explain that this just isn’t going to work. 

_ Sakura,  _

_ Thank you for your encouraging words. We are surely working hard out here, as I know you are working hard as well.  _

_ As for the kiss...it was nice. But it cannot happen again. I should not have crossed that line with you. It was beyond inappropriate and wrong. I know you will understand this. You were my student, and you are much too young. Please do not speak of this to anyone. I do not expect us to speak of it either. I am sorry for confusing you and causing you pain. But moving forward, I am strictly your Sensei and nothing else.  _

_ Thank you for the updates you have been sending me. It is helpful. Stay safe.  _

_ Kakashi _

He hopes this letter doesn’t hurt her. But he knows it will. He shouldn’t have confused her like this. Kakashi rarely allows himself to be selfish; he wished he didn’t allow himself to be selfish with Sakura. She’s too sweet to hurt like this. Hopefully they don’t see each other again for a while so things can really cool down between them. Soon, this entire situation will be forgotten. 


	4. The Lake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things really heat up. Maybe OOC?

Sakura was devastated when she read Kakashi’s latest letter. Honestly though, she kind of expected him to back off after the kiss. He’s a smart man, and Sakura understands that there would be a lot at stake for him to form a relationship with her. He doesn’t have to say that he has feelings for her, she knows it. Despite what many believe, Sakura is a perceptive and intelligent young woman. She knows when a man is interested in her. And she is willing to wait as long as it takes on this man. Sakura trusts his judgement. If now isn’t the time to strike something up, then he is probably right. She doesn’t really know what she was expecting to happen anyways. She just wanted him to know how she felt, in case something happened to either one of them. The kiss was enough for her. For now.

* * *

It had been 3 months since Kakashi sent Sakura the letter of rejection. He hadn’t heard from her or seen her since then. He didn’t want to admit it, but it kind of stung to never get a response from her. Clearly, she had moved on from him...just like he knew she would. It looks like they were just rushed, hormonal feelings, after all. Just then, a sand Shinobi came up to him with a letter. The universe is funny like that. 

_ Kakashi,  _

_ I apologize for not writing to you sooner. I just wanted you to know that everyone on my side of things is doing well. We have less and less Shinobi to heal on a daily basis. It seems the war is coming to a close. They are actually sending me to the front lines again to help heal our Shinobi at a faster rate so we can really close this thing up. I’m excited for this all to end so we can finally return home. I look forward to seeing you soon. By the time you receive this letter, I should be on my way.  _

_ Sakura  _

_ P.S. I can’t believe you forgot my 18th birthday!  _

Her 18th birthday? Was she trying to hint at something? Should he have gotten her a gift? Surely she didn’t expect something; they’re in the middle of a war! Thankfully, she didn’t bring up the kiss or any sort of romantic feelings. Maybe things will actually go back to normal once all of this is over. 

Back to the birthday thing...should he try to get her something? He’s never gotten her a gift before, so why would she expect something this year? Something isn’t right. Or maybe, she was just trying to lighten things up a bit by teasing him. That’s probably it. Hopefully.

* * *

That same night, Sakura arrived at Kakashi’s campsite. He saw her as he was going into his tent for the night. They made brief eye contact before he gave her a nod that said he was happy to see her. She nodded back and continued trekking across the camp to her own tent. 

Sakura needed a bath. She stinks from traveling. Many of the Shinobi that accompanied her to this new campsite were raving about a lake located about a mile north from the camp. Taking a dip in that lake sounded so good right about now. After she checked in with the medic tent, she dropped her stuff off at her own tent and started to make her way to the lake. Just as she was about to leave the campsite, someone grabbed her wrist.

“And where do you think you’re going?” Kakashi’s tired voice came from behind her. She hasn’t spoken to him in months. Right now, she honestly doesn’t really want to. 

“Hello, Sensei. It’s nice to see you too.” She rolled her eyes and snatched her wrist back from him. Kakashi smirked at her from behind his mask. 

“I will ask again. Where are you going, Sakura? I cannot allow you to wander away from the grounds. It’s dangerous.” Kakashi was clearly annoyed with her. He really just wanted to be in his tent sleeping by now, but he knew she would be prone to do something stupid like wander off. Not that she isn’t intelligent, but she is too curious sometimes. 

“First of all, I am the head medic and can do as I please. As for where I’m going, it’s really none of your business. But if you must know, I need to take a dip in the lake so I can get clean. Medics especially should not be walking around in filth. I need to be clean or I risk spreading bacteria and infection to the Shinobi I am treating.” That should get him off her back. But Kakashi just chuckled at her. His visible eye had a slight glint to it as well. 

“Well, head medic, I am the captain and commander of this entire front line. So you will do as I command. As for the much needed bath, I know all about the luxurious lake...so cut the crap.” Sakura rolled her eyes at him and just continued on her path to the lake. She isn’t going to let him stop her, even if he is the captain. 

“I’m not going to follow you out to the lake to protect you, Sakura. If you go out there, you’re all on your own.” This made her laugh very heartily. 

“You do know I’m not a scared little girl anymore, right Sensei? I think I can protect myself.” Kakashi clearly knew she wasn’t a little girl anymore. She made it painfully obvious for him that she is now a young woman. He noticed a little too much. Kakashi sighed. “Please just come back to camp, Sakura. I need sleep and I won’t be able to rest if I know you are out there vulnerable in the lake.” For some reason, this made her blush. Thank God for the darkness of the night, Kakashi couldn’t see how rosy her cheeks had suddenly become. Sakura was chewing on her lip, contemplating. She stepped closer to her tall Sensei and looked up at him, pleading. 

“Please, Sensei? I won’t be long. I really need this. I haven’t had a moment of peace in a year. I know you probably haven’t either, so I know I’m not special. But I truly need this. I am begging you.” Kakashi looked down into her emerald eyes. Those beautiful, mesmerizing eyes. How could he say no? 

“Fine. You have 30 minutes and I’m coming with you.” Kakashi laughed at the horrified look on his student’s face. 

“You are most certainly not coming with me.” 

“Oh I most certainly am. Don’t worry, I will give you complete privacy. Now if I were you, I would hurry because your 30 minutes started about 1 minute ago.” He gave her a signature eye crinkle and followed her retreating form. They walked to the lake in silence. Kakashi tried really hard not to look at her body too much, but she made it difficult. He’s not dumb, he knows that she’s playing up her curves by strutting so confidently and swinging her hips, but her strategy still has a strong effect on him. That kiss awakened something in him and he didn’t realize it until now. It was not a good idea to accompany her. Obviously, he will be able to control himself. He is almost 32 years old. Kakashi has control over his hormones and his body. He will be fine. 

“We’re almost there. It’s just up ahead to the right. I’ll sit over at the far edge of the lake so I won’t disturb you. You have about 20 minutes now. Enjoy.” Sakura watched Kakashi as he walked a safe distance away and turned his back to her. She began to strip out of her filthy uniform. Sakura hoped to be able to wash it in the lake, but she didn’t want to push her luck with Kakashi. Maybe she will have more time to do it tomorrow or later in the week. 

Sakura watched Kakashi’s back; she could see that he was reading a book. Some things never change. Suddenly, she wished that he were in the water with her. Of course she was enjoying her time alone, but these days, her mind often drifted off to very inappropriate thoughts about her Sensei. No matter how much she tried to control these thoughts, they would not stop. Keeping her eyes on Kakashi, she pictured his bare torso...his chiseled stomach and a patch of silver hair going down towards his-

“Sakura, are you almost finished over there? It’s about time we head back.” 

Struggling to speak, she responded. 

“Y-yes, I am almost finished. I will start drying off now.” She watched the back of his head nod in response. 

Getting out of the water, she realized she forgot her towel over by the trees at the edge of the lake....and her clothes. She didn’t want the grass and dirt to stick to her wet legs. 

“Umm, Sensei? I am so sorry to ask you this, but can you please hand me my towel? It’s over by the trees. I would get it myself but I’m soaking wet and I don’t want anything to stick to me.” Sakura closed her eyes and bowed her head in shame. At the same time, Kakashi nearly choked at her question and her choice of words. Was she setting him up? 

“Sakura...I don’t think that is a wise decision. You are a Shinobi. A little dirt and grass won’t hurt you.” 

“You can consider it my birthday present. Please? It’s not like you’re going to look or something.” Kakashi groaned in response. She’s so innocent, she doesn’t realize what her words are doing to him. She’s asking too much. 

“Fine, Sakura. You will speak of this to no one. I promise you I will not look. I am getting up now to retrieve your towel. Just stay put where you are.” Kakashi left his spot by the tree and went to the opposite edge of the lake to grab her damn towel. Walking over to her now, he held it out to her from a safe distance away. 

“Well, are you just going to stand there or are you going to take the damn thing?” He was completely exasperated at this point. Standing so close to a naked Sakura, who just turned 18 by the way, was torture. Her soft hands reached out and met his calloused ones to grab the towel. The brush of hands sent a bolt of electricity down each ninja’s spine and they both softly gasped. Kakashi drew his hand away, but Sakura grabbed it back while she wrapped herself in the towel with her free hand. He didn’t fight her on it. They just stood there holding hands for a few seconds, neither one looking at the other. Kakashi’s hand was stiff in Sakura’s. Finally, she released his hand but he made no move to retreat. Feeling brave, she turned towards him. She looked at his strong face; his eye was closed but it was also strained. He looked like he was in pain. 

“You know, Sensei, my birthday was a few weeks ago. I’m 18 now.” Sakura whispered into the space between them. Kakashi was standing stiff as a board, willing himself not to open his eye to look at her body that he knew was facing him. He responded in a lazy voice. “Happy belated birthday, Sakura. I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything. I’m kind of in the middle of a war here.” Sakura rolled her eyes at his sarcasm. She knew he was trying to downplay the situation, but he was clearly struggling.

“Thank you. I didn’t expect you to get me anything. But you can do something for me right now.” Kakashi gulped. This is not going to be good. Absolutely nothing good can come of this. He should demand that they leave right this second. 

“And what can I do for you right now?” Again with the lazy, aloof voice. He’s so transparent sometimes. 

“Touch me-“ 

“Sakura! That is crossing the line. You are being inappropriate. We need to leave now.” 

“Then watch me. That can be your gift to me. I want your full attention for 60 seconds. No one will know. It will stay between us. I expect nothing from you but your attention. You will have done nothing wrong.” Kakashi groaned in response, but nevertheless, he opened his visible eye. They locked eyes and met each other’s hungry gaze for what seemed like hours. Kakashi’s eyes never drifted lower than Sakura’s chin. Before she could unwrap herself from the towel, Kakashi opened his mouth to speak. 

“You had your first kiss months ago, and now you think you’re ready to seduce a grown man?” He quirked his eyebrow at her tilted his head to the side. This elicited a nervous giggle from Sakura. She blushed and turned her head down, breaking his fierce gaze. 

“I’m not trying to seduce you tonight, Kakashi. I just want you to see what you could have. I don’t know if you will like what you will see, butmaybe it will help you decide on things in the future.” Kakashi smirked beneath his mask. He watched as she walked past him and let the towel fall off her torso. His jaw went slack at what he saw. Even the back of her is beautiful. A well toned ass and long muscular legs were teasing him. Once she reached her pile of clothes, she turned around to face him again. His eyes were met with a gorgeous site. She did a good job of hiding that sexy body under her modest clothes. He would give anything just to reach out and tweak one of her pink nipples. His eyes travelled down her body to find a wonderful surprise. Just below her stomach were beautiful dark pink curls. And then it hit him. The smell of her arousal. It had him salivating. This is getting dangerous. With a strained voice, he pleaded with her. “Sakura, please get dressed before I stain my honor and yours. This is wrong.” He struggled to speak. He wanted to taste her growing arousal so badly. Sakura could sense that he was being deadly serious, and that he was done with their little game. So she quickly dressed herself.

“I will speak of this to no one, Sensei. I hope you liked what you saw.” Her voice was suddenly very shy. 

“What do you think, Sakura? I liked what I saw. Am I not a man?” That comment stung her. She was being vulnerable to him and he was practically spitting in her face. She wasn’t anymore special to him than any other woman he slept with. Kakashi saw her shoulders slump and knew that he had hurt her feelings. She doesn’t deserve that. He could’ve looked away at any time but he chose not to. He took part in her vulnerability, so she should know how it truly affected him. 

“Sakura, I’m sorry. You are extremely beautiful. This is just uncomfortable for me. I feel like a dirty old man. I very much enjoyed watching you. I could watch you like that all night. In fact, it will probably play back in my dreams for a long time.” Sakura finally looked up and gave him a sheepish smile. He gave her an eye crinkle in return. Not knowing what else to say, she turned her back to him and started making her way back to the campsite. They walked in silence for a few minutes, side by side. 

“Sakura, I don’t know how much time we will be able to spend together while you’re here, but please make sure you don’t leave without saying goodbye.” He reached out next to him and squeezed her hand. Kakashi loves how soft yet strong her hands feel in his. 

“I will make sure to find you before I leave.” Kakashi nodded and released her hand. 

Sakura spoke again, “What does tonight mean for us?” Kakashi was expecting this conversation, but he still hoped he could avoid it. This conversation is exactly why he should have put a stop to her little show at the lake. He sighed. “Let’s not talk about that right now. It will just upset you. You’re very cute right now, with how shy and vulnerable you are being. You aren’t very cute when you’re mad. So let’s leave it at that.” 


	5. Sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a shorter chapter but it is slightly explicit. I changed the rating on this story. Also, thank you so much for the comments I’ve been getting recently. I’m going to start responding soon!

Once they arrived back to the campsite, Kakashi walked away from Sakura without another word. But she simply continued to follow him all the way to his tent. Kakashi turned on her and looked at her with annoyance. 

“Sakura, go to your tent and get some sleep now. I need to sleep as well. I’m tired. It’s been a long day. Actually, it’s been a long life. Please just let me be.” He was pleading with her now. He knew that if he let her into his tent, it would all be over. Kakashi wouldn’t be able to control himself. 

“Sensei, please don’t make me be alone. I’ve been alone for a year now. You are at the front, fighting with your comrades. I live the lonely life of a medic, healing strangers and sometimes watching them die. I just want to spend time with you. Please? I won’t do anything inappropriate. I promise.” Kakashi’s stoic expression softened at her heartfelt confession. He sighed and opened the flap to his tent, inviting her inside. She smiled up at him as she brushed past him into the small tent. He joined her inside and they both took a seat on his sleeping bag. 

Kakashi did not fail to notice how closely she seated herself next to him. They absolutely did not have to be touching, but she made it a point to situate herself right against the left side of his body. He already felt himself reacting to her touch. Kakashi looked over at the young, pink haired ninja next to him. She’s so beautiful tonight. She’s always beautiful. And sweet. Even when she’s trying to be sexy, and seductive-like right now-she’s just sweet. 

He watched her smirk up at him. 

“Why are you looking at me like that, Sensei?” 

He tilted his head to the side, knowing exactly what she meant. 

“Like what?” 

“Like you want to kiss me.” 

Kakashi sighed and looked away, not saying anything. Sakura pushed away from him and whipped around so she was now facing him. 

“Why did you kiss me before? The only thing you’ve done is confuse me! And then you watched my nak-“ Kakashi lunged forward and covered her mouth before she could continue her yelling. She struggled against his hand for a few seconds before she realized that this was a fight she wasn’t going to win. She met his eyes and stilled herself. 

“Unless your goal is to ruin my reputation and yours, then be quiet.” Sakura’s eyes widened; she knew that she had gotten too worked up and emotional. Kakashi lowered his hand away from her mouth and spoke again. 

“Listen to me, Sakura. You are going to listen very carefully to me and you are going to obey my words because I am your sensei and captain. Do you understand me?” His tone was extremely stern. He meant business. Sakura quickly nodded her head. This was going to be bad. 

“Good. You just compromised my integrity as well as yours by yelling our private business to the entire campsite. Do you know what that shows me? It shows me that you are still the immature girl I met 6 years ago. I am sorry for confusing you. I shouldn’t have kissed you. It was wrong, selfish, and irresponsible. But you should have backed off when I told you to. I shouldn’t have looked at you the way I did tonight at the lake. It was wrong, Sakura. What we are doing is so wrong. I am disgusted with myself. I allowed this situation. I could have put a stop to it but I didn’t. However, you need to respect my boundaries. This will be the last conversation we have about this until I am ready to speak of it again. Is it fair to you? Probably not. But I am your sensei and captain, and that is what my orders are. I will not hear of it again. You will not speak of this to a single soul. Can I trust you with this, Sakura?” Sakura’s eyes filled with tears. His voice sounded so cruel to her. How could he dismiss her like this? Was it bad that his tone and authority were actually turning her on right now? Her shaky voice came out in a barely audible whisper.

“Yes, sensei. I won’t bring it up again. But I deserve to know that I’m not some crazy girl who was chasing after you. Was it only lust, or was it something more?” The question annoyed Kakashi. Why couldn’t she just leave it alone? Wait a second...-is she aroused right now? _Is that what I’m smelling right now?_ This is insanity. He’s trying to be direct with her and simply reject her, yet she is suddenly turned on? He wants to acknowledge it so bad right now and tease her. Most of all, he wants to taste it. This is dangerous. _You are a sick man, Hatake!_

“Sakura, given your current state, I think it would be best for you to leave. No more questions. You need to go back to your own tent immediately.” She looked at him like he was crazy. 

“My current state?” Kakashi rolled his eyes. 

“Yes, Sakura. Your current state of being soaking wet on my sleeping bag. I can smell you. Leave. Now.” Sakura’s blush rivaled the color of Gaara’s hair. Kakashi thought it was absolutely beautiful. And he thought she smelled absolutely delicious.

“No. I’m not leaving until I get answers. You say I’m immature? Well, sensei, you are the one who is constantly going back and forth on how you feel. You are right that I should have respected your boundaries more. I apologize. But what’s done is done and I deserve to know if there is something here.” Kakashi sighed. 

“You’re not crazy, Sakura. I want to do things to you right now that I shouldn’t want. I want to taste the arousal that’s coming from you at this very moment.” Sakura gasped loudly, but kakashi continued on. 

“I bet you taste so sweet. There. Is that what you wanted to hear? You have my confession. I’m a dirty old man who wants his former student. What I want, though, will never happen. Your question from earlier, about it being lust or something more? I don’t know. I don’t want to figure it out either. Now, I will say it one more time. Leave.” Sakura was so stunned by the filthy words coming from Kakashi’s mouth that she obeyed him without a second thought. She would have never in a million years imagined him saying such things to her. It turned her on for sure, but it kind of frightened her as well. She’s only been kissed once in her life, and here he was talking about tasting her! It was too much for her to handle, and he probably knew that. Sakura hurried back to her tent and went to sleep, dreaming of kakashi tasting her. 


	6. Paw print

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s another chapter!

The next few days flew by in a flurry of fighting, blood, and sweat. Sakura healed hundreds of shinobi every single day. Each night, she would collapse in her tent and get a couple hours of rest before her next shift on the battle field. She saw Kakashi in passing when going back and forth from the campsite and the field. It seemed like he never really took a break. When you’re the commander, there probably aren’t very many breaks to be had. When they would pass each other, he would give her a reassuring eye crinkle and a small nod to let her know everything would be okay. With the weight of the war on his shoulders, he still did small things like that to give her some type of comfort. Every time they met, she seemed to fall for him more and more.

* * *

It was the last night before she had to return to her homebase for a few weeks. She couldn’t stop thinking about their last real encounter in his tent a few days prior. The things he said to her were so filthy but they awakened something deep within her. Every time she closed her eyes, she thought of him. Did he think of her? He told her to be sure to say farewell to him when they had their moment at the lake, but now she wasn’t so sure. Sakura had really upset him in the tent...she wasn’t sure if Kakashi would want to speak to her just yet. Just then, the flaps to her tent opened and the commander himself walked in. Kakashi had a deep bag under his visible eye and he looked older than usual, but he still gave her a warm smile. 

“Good evening, Sakura. Do you mind if I sit with you for a moment? I know it’s your last night here.” She smiled back at him and quickly nodded, scooting over on her sleeping bag to give him some room. He sank down next to her and crossed his long legs before speaking again. 

“I didn’t think you would want to seek me out to say goodbye after our last talk. I’m sorry for that by the way.” Kakashi reached behind his head and scratched at his neck as the words came out in a shy whisper. Sakura wasn’t used to him being so unsure of himself. 

“I wish you would stop apologizing, Kakashi. I’m not sorry for anything.” She reached over and took his hand in both of hers. She rubbed at his bloodied knuckles, trying to soothe his obvious nerves. After a few seconds, Kakashi withdrew his hand and set it in his lap. But after glancing at her from the corner of his eye and seeing her pout, he inched his hand back towards her and covered her small hand with his large, calloused one. After fighting and healing for so long, how were her hands still so soft?   
Before coming to her tent tonight, kakashi made a decision. He wasn’t going to confuse her anymore, but he wasn’t going to pursue her either. The feelings he has developed for Sakura over the past few months are real. That became clear to him the last few days. Watching her fight, heal, show compassion, display maturity in difficult situations, never back down, staying true to herself...it made his heart swell with pride at his former student as well as something stronger and more tender for the woman she has become. He is falling for her. Kakashi decided that he would stop running from it, but he wouldn’t exactly move forward with it either. He wanted to come to an understanding with her. 

“Sakura...I need to say something important to you. I care about you, a lot. I’ve come to the realization since you’ve been here that I do have certain feelings for you that are real. These feelings scare me. And I feel immense guilt for these feelings as well. It’s true that you have matured. You are becoming a woman. However, you must admit that you are still young...especially compared to me. All that to say, I’m not going to continue to run from this. Whatever happens, happens. Like I said when I kissed you, I don’t want to regret anything. Even though I’m not running away, I don’t want to push for a relationship when I don’t think it’s the right time. I hope the knowledge that I’m open to something eventually, is enough for you right now. If that’s not enough for you, then maybe it’s not meant to be. But that’s what I can offer you.” Kakashi continued running circles along her palm as he finished speaking. Sakura was shocked, to say the least. It was absolutely enough for her. The man she loves is confessing to her and opening up to her. She honestly wasn’t sure if this would ever happen. For the first time in a long time, her heart felt full. She released his hand in order to gather him in her arms for a fierce hug. His arms reluctantly circled around her but after a moment of hesitation, he gripped onto her tightly. Still hugging, Sakura whispered in his ear. 

“Kakashi, that is enough for me. I told you before, that I draw strength from you. This has renewed me and given me so much hope for the future. Thank you.” He drew back from her and kissed her forehead before releasing her. 

“I do have a parting gift for you, Sakura. It’s a late birthday present.” He reached into his pocket and brought out a necklace. He rested it in his palm so she could see it. It was a silver chain with a silver paw print pendant attached to it. She looked up at Kakashi with a questioning look. Sakura was surprised to see a blush creeping around the edges of his mask. 

“It was my mother’s necklace. I had Pakkun retrieve it for me. She was an Inuzuka, so that explains the pendant. It’s not much, but it means something to me. And it would mean something to me if you would please wear it.” Sakura swept her hair to the side and turned her back to him, signaling for him to secure the necklace around her neck. Kakashi fastened the necklace, and let his hands linger at her neck. He brushed his thumbs across the base of her neck before dragging his hands down to her shoulders where he held her for a few silent minutes. When she turned back around to him, she was blushing deeply, and looking down at the pendant resting above her breasts. 

“Thank you, Kakashi. It’s beautiful. This is the best gift I’ve ever received. Thank you for trusting me with it.” She looked up at him when she finished speaking, only to see that he had unmasked himself. Wasting no more time, Kakashi brought his face down to hers and gave her a searing kiss. His confident lips worked against her clumsy ones. He brought his hands up to rest on her blushing cheeks, holding her in place. He brought his face back to catch his breath, and stroked her cheeks with his thumbs. Sakura stared into his visible eye for a second before her eyes began to roam all over his face. She brought her hand up to trace the outline of his nose, then his chiseled jaw. She got a glimpse of his face when he kissed her the first time, but this was different. She was truly seeing him for the first time. 

“Kakashi, you are beautiful. You have the most amazing face I’ve ever seen.” He smirked at her and tweeked her nose with the tip of his index finger before fully releasing her face. 

“Thank you, Sakura. Your face is also the most amazing face I’ve ever seen.” He chuckled and made his way to his feet. “I think it’s time I head back to my own tent so I can get some rest. Travel safely, and please write to me more often. I’ll miss you.” She stood up to meet him at the exit of her tent. Sakura brought him in for another hug and rubbed his back before releasing him again. 

“Sleep well, kakashi.” 

“Sleep well, sweet Sakura.” 


	7. Older Men

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I am actually updating this story after almost 4 months! This story was never abandoned. I just had A LOT going on. I found out I was pregnant right after my last update so it’s been hectic for me because it was kind of unexpected. My husband and I are really happy about it though, so no worries! I’ve also been super busy reading other people’s fan fictions lol. There has been some AMAZING kakasaku content on this site in recent months.  
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I will try my best to be better about updating in the future.

Two months passed since Sakura left Kakashi and the front line to return to her home base camp. Kakashi has yet to send her any letters and she hasn’t sent any his way either. She’s been extremely busy and assumes that it’s the same with him. Two months ago they thought the war was coming to a close. Now, it doesn’t seem likely to happen anytime soon. She’s seen many of her comrades fall victim to the white zetsu. Not even knowing who she can trust anymore has been difficult. 

Word filters in and out of her base camp about Kakashi and Naruto. As long as she knows they’re safe, that’s all that matters to her. Any time she has a free moment to think, her thoughts often wander to the copy ninja. His parting words to her were so reassuring and they have truly given her another reason to continue forward and fight with everything she has. His parting gift was thoughtful as well. Kakashi is known to be an extremely private man, and for him to give Sakura his mother’s necklace says a lot about his feelings for her. And that kiss...Sakura couldn’t stop replaying their last kiss in her mind. Her inexperience was obvious but he took full control and it was so hot. In that moment, it made their age difference more obvious to her. Kakashi had probably kissed hundreds of women. The thought brought on a raging jealousy and also shame for her inexperience. Obviously Kakashi doesn’t expect her to have a ton of experience but it must be a turn off for him to have to basically “teach” her how to kiss. It’s humiliating. Other than that aspect of their age difference though, it is actually a huge turn on that she’s -sort of- with an older man. As kids, she and Ino had huge crushes on Iruka-sensei and Genma-san. So it’s not that big of a leap for her to suddenly fall for Kakashi. She wonders how kakashi would feel about her older man kink and smirks at the thought. He would probably be mortified. Finally having a moment to herself, Sakura sits down and writes a letter. 

_Kakashi,_

_I don’t really want to write about the war at the moment. Just know that I’m safe and coping._

_What I would really like to write about is how much I miss home. I can’t wait to finally go home to Konoha one day. It feels like it’s never going to happen. I wish I could go back in time and appreciate certain moments more. I’ve never appreciated the village like I should. I’ll never take it for granted again. I’m sure you miss the village as well._

_Today I was thinking about Ino. Can you please let me know how she’s doing? Earlier, I had a good laugh about something from our childhood. We used to have the biggest crushes on Iruka-sensei and Genma-san. To this day, Ino still drools over Genma-san. She thinks he must be quite talented with his mouth because of how he handles the senbon._

_I guess I’ve always had a thing for older men. It’s something of a turn on for me. I know how you feel about our age difference but it doesn’t bother me at all. Your age and wisdom is sexy to me. Thinking about you gets me so hot. When I saw your face for the first time, I thought I was going to pass out. And the way you took control over our kiss made it 100 times hotter. Its probably for the best that I’m not on the front lines being distracted by such a sexy commander. I hope this isn’t too forward of me. I just miss you. I can’t wait to be back in the village together. I can’t wait to be alone with you again._

_Apologies for my rambling in this letter. I hope to hear from you soon._

_Sakura_

Before she can second guess herself, Sakura sprints to the group of ninja leaving for the front lines and gives them her letter addressed to Kakashi. 

She watches them depart with her letter and feels mortified. Why didn’t she immediately rip it up? 

* * *

“Captain Hatake, we have a letter from Haruno Sakura from base camp. It seemed urgent so we rushed to get it here.” Kakashi takes the letter and hurries to his shared tent with Genma. Concern immediately washes over him. He storms into the tent ripping open the letter. He devours every word of it in a matter of seconds. First he’s relieved. Then, he’s absolutely flustered by the words Sakura had written to him. Blushing, he quickly turns away from Genma and walks to the corner where his sleeping bag is. 

“Yo, Hatake! What’s wrong?” Genma gets up to walk over to him but Kakashi quickly stops him by simply putting a hand up to stop him. Sighing, Kakashi responds. 

“Nothing is the matter. I’ve just received a letter from Sakura. I thought it was going to be bad news but it’s just an update. That’s all. No need to worry. You can go back to whatever you were doing before. Nothing to see here.” Kakashi knew he was rambling on but he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t believe what Sakura wrote to him! He picked up the letter and read it again just to be sure he wasn’t imagining things. 

“Just an update, huh? What kind of update did Pinky send you that’s got you this hot and bothered? Do you think she could send _me_ an update like that?” Genma laughed around his senbon at the deadly expression Kakashi sent his way. 

“Ya know, Hatake, don’t think I didn’t notice the two of you sneaking off to that lake together and all the time you spent in each other’s tents the last time she was here.” 

Kakashis head snapped up from where he was skimming the letter again. Had they really been that obvious? 

“Shut up, Shiranui. She was my student. Of course I’m going to spend time with her.” There. He didn’t confirm or deny anything. Technically, he’s not lying. Genma doesn’t take well to lying. And he’s Kakashi’s closest friend, so he tries not to piss him off too much. 

“Listen, Kakashi. She’s an adult. She hasn’t been your student for years. Cut the bullshit. I can see something is going on here. I respect your need for privacy. But I’m here if you want to talk about it. I mean, I am pretty curious at what she said in that letter that has the great Copy Ninja blushing right now.” Kakashi rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath about people not being able to mind their own business these days. Although, a thought did occur to him. 

“Ya know, Genma...I think Sakura did mention something about you in here. My eyesight isn’t what it used to be so I can’t be sure. But I think it says something about her friend Ino, ya know, the big chested girl with the beautiful long blond hair that works in the intelligence tent...I think she mentioned something about that Ino girl having a massive crush on you her entire life. And maybe she thinks you have some talent with your mouth? Like I said, with my eyesight though, I can’t be sure.” Genma’s jaw was to the floor. 

“Are you blushing, Shiranui? Wow, not a good look for you.” Genma muttered something under his breath about 30 year old ninjas with gray hair can’t be trusted. And with that, Genma crawled under his sleeping bag and turned his back on Kakashi. The copy ninja chuckled and went back to analyzing the letter. 

So Sakura likes older men and being controlled? _I think this just might work out between us._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I post these all from my phone. So there will obviously be errors.


	8. A Little Privacy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate this fic. And I’m not saying that to get comments encouraging me to continue on. I genuinely just wish I would’ve gone in a different direction with this. HOWEVER, someone recently asked me if I plan on finishing this and I do plan on finishing. I have just had an insane year. I’m a new mom and that has consumed me. I promise that this fic will be done by the end of March. I know what I want to happen. I just have to get there. So here is an extremely short chapter just to say hi, I’m still here.

The next day after receiving that extremely forward note from Sakura, Kakashi sat down to respond. He spent a great deal of the night thinking about what he would write. The whole situation is still so new and strange to him. He doesn’t want things between them to get out of hand. He’s very flattered and honestly very turned on by Sakura’s letter, but he still realizes that she is young and inexperienced, and he doesn’t want to go back and forth with her like this yet. It’s still too new and slightly weird for him. He decides to keep his letter on the more neutral side of things. 

_Sakura,_

_I’m glad to hear from you._

_Ino is doing well. She thrives when it comes to intelligence and planning, so she has been a great help here with strategy. She also seems to be in good spirits. I’m sure she misses you though. However, after what you revealed in your last letter about her attraction to a certain jonin, I’m sure she will have plenty of distractions during downtime._

_I miss a lot of things about home. I miss solitude. I enjoy spending time alone. I haven’t had a moment alone since this war began. Although, I do hope to spend more time with you when this all finally ends._

_I miss you._

_Kakashi_

Is that too dry? Kakashi wonders if he should trash it and start over. He’s never second guessed himself so much in his life. If Sakura wants to send steamy letters back and forth, who is he to put a stop to it? She is an adult who obviously knows what she wants. She’s been the confident one this whole time, while he has been a coward.  _I’ll just add one little thing at the end to spice it up a little._

_PS: I look forward to being alone with you again as well. I often think about what we might do with a little privacy._


End file.
